Blog Posts from Karen Casey

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February 10, 2011

My heart is full from your comments. . .

Every day I take some time to read comments in response to the nearly 200 posts I have written. I am truly amazed that so many of you take the time to read and then write back your thoughts. I want you to know just how important you are to me. Writing can be a lonely pursuit. Your comments make it far less so. There are so many things that can fill our hearts and that's what this post is about. A telephone call to or from a friend is one example. So is an unexpected gift card or an email, or some snail mail from a long-lost friend. Just having a s[...]

Your Experience, Strength and Hope

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February 7, 2011

Hope opens the door to sustained peace. . .

I was at a meeting tonight and the topic was hope. It's a certainty that everyone who comes to any 12 step group for the first time is bereft of hope. And we seldom even realize that to be the case. We just know that we are terrified and sick of being sick and confused. In my case I went to Al-Anon first. I was looking for a shorthand way to control the crazy, alcoholic man in my life. I wasn't impressed with the steps that were hanging on the wall. I wanted steps to tell me how to control him. And others too. Alas. That's not what I learned.[...]

Your Experience, Strength and Hope

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February 3, 2011

Showing up as the person I really want to be. . .

At my 12 step meeting this morning, the topic was how to "get over ourselves" those mornings we feel like snarly cats. Gratefully, I don't have those mornings very often, any more, but I used to grouse at every one upon arising. It wasn't simply that I needed coffee, although that first cup often helped. More than that I needed an attitude adjustment. Fortunately I had a sponsor who kept the program simple, and she'd always say "act as if." I felt like an impostor at first. I guess I was, in all honesty. But the solution she suggested worked. That[...]

Circle of Family and Friends - You and Your Personal Community

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January 31, 2011

When some one you love is sick . . .

I have a very close friend who is trying desperately to tolerate the chemo that is necessary for her pancreatic cancer. She came to visit me for a few days and was pretty sick while she was here. She is back up in Minnesota and continues to be sick. I chose this for a topic today because I believe in the power of prayer and I'd like to ask that all of you who happen to be reading this to pray for Joy. Further, I ask you to pass this request on to your friends too. I'd appreciate this very much. A world-wide prayer chain would be pretty formidable. H[...]

Reflections in the Mirror - You and Yourself

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January 28, 2011

Tardiness is not a virtue. . .

Hello, dear friends. Actually, I have not exactly been tardy but I have been away from the blog and for that I owe you an explanation. Some of you have counted on me writing every 3 or 4 days and that's been my intent too. But I have been working very hard, for months, to finish my memoir and have let this part of my work life go unattended to. I emailed the book yesterday so now I will catch up here. I love writing this blog so I have really missed it. Opening up the page today and seeing that I have 1,545 comments is rather daunting but I'm committe[...]

Karen's Musings

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January 17, 2011

Home again. . .

I have been away for the last week doing a workshop and speaking at an AA/ Al-Anon Jamboree in South Padre Island, TX. I love the opportunities my work affords me to meet people from all over the world. Doing workshops, based on books I have written, gives me such pleasure. I feel that I have "been selected" to do the work I do. And I'm quite sure the angels hover around me whether I am at the computer writing a post like this one, a book like the memoir I am currently writing for Hazelden, or standing before an audience in this country or abroad, sharing[...]

Circle of Family and Friends - You and Your Personal Community

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January 10, 2011

Connecting with you, the reader. . .

I have just spent the last three hours responding to your comments in regard to various blogs already posted on my site. I do this every couple of days so that I don't get too far behind and I want to say again that I love hearing from you. I know I've mentioned this before but I repeat it because of the grace you bring to my life. Simply knowing that you are "out there" catching the phrases I am throwing your way tickles and amazes me. The internet is a fascinating tool, isn't it. I have to admit that when I started this endeavor, I didn't realize it w[...]

Reflections in the Mirror - You and Yourself

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January 5, 2011

Intentions for the new year. . .

We've probably all made tons of resolutions over the years that we adhered to for a week or less. Maybe only a few hours, in fact. Perhaps that's because resolutions are geared to what we are Not going to do, ever again! I think a more helpful approach might be to set goals or intentions for what we do want to do in the coming year, rather than what we are not going to do. For instance, a sensible intention might be the following: "I am going to say hello, with a smile in my voice, to the first person I see upon awaking." For sure they can be any thing th[...]

Your Experience, Strength and Hope

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January 1, 2011

Happy New Year to all of you who have found your way to this blog. . .

I am so happy to welcome all of you to this site, the ones who have been here before and all of you who have just stumbled on to it today. I love the connection I can make with all of you here. Connection is what makes this life truly worth living. Because I am an author and my words are read by people I seldom have the good fortune to meet "in the flesh," it's so gratifying that I hear from readers through emails, snail mail, phone calls and now here on this blog site too. I can assure you that every writer wants to know she or he has made a connection wi[...]

Circle of Family and Friends - You and Your Personal Community

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December 28, 2010

Connection is a powerful gift that we give one another. . .

I have spent the last two hours reading your comments to my posts. Every couple of days I do that and I respond to a great many of them. First let me say to all of you: I am extremely gratified that you have become readers and even more gratified that so many of you have taken precious time to respond to a particular post that spoke to you. I didn't realize that would even happen when I began this blog last year, and it didn't happen immediately. In fact, the first few months I wasn't even sure any one was reading the blogs. And then you started showing up[...]